Project Profile

Downtown Improvement Program

Corpus Christi, Texas

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Project Summary: TGC contracted with the Corpus Christi Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) to develop a plan to improve the mobility within the city’s downtown. The CCRTA believed improved mobility would act as a catalyst for economic development within the area.

Project Highlights

TGC analyzed the potential of terminals and associated pedestrian malls as a infrastructure investment to spur this improvement. The study included a peer comparison of similar downtown areas that have utilized funds from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to improve downtown mobility.

Peer Review

TGC explored various improvement and project implementation possibilities. TGC contacted FTA officials at regional and national levels to identify similar projects to be reviewed. Various consultants and local transit officials were interviewed to obtain detailed information about terminals and malls in ten cities. The inventory of downtown projects included San Antonio, Spokane, Galveston, Phoenix, Portland, Rochester, Burlington, Sacramento, and Tampa. Each project summary included a general description, downtown plan, funding description, operation section, and other key factors that influenced the project’s impact.

Development Strategies

Downtown projects that benefited most from FTA assistance had common characteristics. These involved multiple entities; were generally redevelopment oriented; involved the private sector; achieved a consensus between the transit agency, city officials, and the private sector; and included a benefit/cost analysis in the grant application. Furthermore, TGC determined Corpus Christi would benefit from a transit-oriented downtown improvement program that uses streetscape and transit improvements to link major downtown activities and terminals.